1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable apparatus including a plurality of case portions that can be opened and closed by sliding and/or by rotation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable telephone apparatuses, which are typical portable apparatuses, have become multi-functionalized. As a result, new functions involving text inputting, such as chat, browsing, notepad, and schedule book functions, as well as traditional phone call and e-mail functions, have been made available. However, numeric keypads used in existing portable telephone apparatuses are thought to be unsuitable for inputting long sentences or inputting text messages in real-time for chatting or similar uses.
In recent years, slide-type portable telephone apparatuses that have upper and lower case portions and QWERTY keyboards instead of numeric keypads have appeared. In most cases, an apparatus with this structure adopts a configuration in which a QWERTY keyboard is normally hidden by a case portion having a display screen unit thereon and a user slides out and exposes the QWERTY keyboard so as to use the keyboard. With such a QWERTY keyboard, the user can hold the apparatus with both hands and press keys with his/her thumbs.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-179525 proposes a portable electronic apparatus having a three-tier case structure including a lower numeric-key case with a numeric keyboard, a middle full-keyboard case with a full keyboard, and an upper display unit case with a screen display unit. The lower numeric-key case can be slid and pulled out in the length direction of the upper, middle, and lower cases. The upper display unit case can be horizontally rotated on the middle full keyboard case with the center of a long side of the middle full keyboard case serving as an axis of rotation so that the full keyboard is exposed and the display unit becomes parallel to the full keyboard.